CHERINE MAGRABI TAYEB

Founder and Chairwoman

Cherine is the curator and founder of House of Today. She has overseen the development of the House of Today program, three important design exhibitions and subsequent tours and design commissions, since its inception in 2012. The success of the curated exhibitions has allowed the continuation of House of Today’s main purpose which is to fund scholarships for young Lebanese designers.

Due to the global recognition of the House of Today program, Cherine has been asked to curate special collections internationally.

Design pieces from House of Today’s second biennial exhibition have been shown at Nilufar Gallery in Milan, Gallery Fumi in London, Maison Objet in Paris and Carpenters Gallery, London and Paris.

Cherine identified the need for a platform for Lebanese design, one that would put Lebanon on the international design map, and set out to achieve this. Her skills as a businesswoman, managing a retail chain of 200 stores in the Middle East, and her commitment to the arts as a founding member of the Beirut Art Centre and council of the Serpentine Gallery in London, combine to make her a powerful force on the international cultural landscape.

“I am humbled by the vibrating talent in this country. We should not let it go unnoticed.” — Cherine Magrabi Tayeb

BOARD MEMBERS

Widely respected, highly talented, and deeply influential, each carefully selected board member brings expertise in his or her respected field, strengthening House of Today and creating a dynamic relationship with its designers to steer the helm of the organization.

Raya Raphael Nahas
Member of the Board of Directors, General Manager and Member of the Executive Committee, Banque Libano-Française SAL.
Member of the Board & Chairman of the Beirut Committee, LIFE (Lebanese International Finance Executive)

Jessy SFEIR Bustros

Director

Having managed blue chip clients for an international advertising company and projects with non-profit organizations, Jessy brings a wealth of experience into her role as director of House of today since joining in January 2014.

Working closely with Cherine Magrabi Tayeb, together they oversee the organization's daily operations, identify design talent, put together the biennale exhibitions, and are the driving force behind prestigious collaboration ideas, like "The Shop X WallpaperStore*".

Jessy has also been a recurrent member of the jury for the Academie Libanaise des Beaux-Arts (ALBA) Product Design program graduation projects.

Advisory Board

House of Today’s Advisory Board serves as its qualifying committee and its selection committee. It provides its expertise and opinions to students, and it is involved in the selection of scholarship recipients. The Advisory Board is also involved in the selection process of designers that will participate in HoT’s events.